Shell announced the opening of Shell Recharge – the major oil and gas company’s new forecourt electric vehicle (EV) rapid charging service. Shell Recharge is now available at three locations in the United Kingdom, at Shell Holloway (London), Shell Whyteleafe (Surrey) and Shell Derby, and will be launched at a further seven locations within Greater London and Reading by the end of the year. Shell Recharge will also soon launch in the Netherlands.

The location of the first 10 sites have been chosen because of their proximity to main driving routes, and where there is an opportunity to reach more EV drivers.

Shell Recharge’s rapid 50kW DC chargers are compatible with most electric vehicles and will charge most cars from zero to 80% in approximately 30 minutes.

As part of this initiative, Shell has been collaborating with Transport for London (TfL) to introduce the charging points, in line with the London Mayor’s drive for a zero-emission capital by 2050.

“It is great news that Shell is introducing electric vehicle charging services on its forecourts as thousands more Londoners switch to cleaner cars. With sales of diesel cars declining, it’s vital to have charging points for electric vehicles in service stations, car parks and on our streets. As the mayor moves towards making London’s transport system zero-emission by 2050, TfL are working with boroughs to increase charging infrastructure across our city. The expansion we require will continue to demand strong collaboration with industry, private landowners and greater investment from government,” said Shirley Rodrigues, London’s deputy mayor of Environment and Energy.

Shell Recharge has been introduced in partnership with Allego, which will manage the operation of the rapid chargers. “Electric mobility is developing very fast and a new generation of e-cars is now available for consumers. We highly value Shell’s vision and leadership in integrating rapid charging at their service stations. We know that electric vehicle drivers want the right charging solution at the right place, to be always available and combined with excellent services. Shell Recharge shows how these wishes can be met,” said Anja van Niersen, CEO of Allego.

In related news, Shell announced on October 12 that it has signed an agreement to buy NewMotion, which operates more than 30,000 electric charge posts in the Netherlands, Germany, France and the UK. NewMotion also provides access to a network of more than 50,000 public charge points across 25 European countries, serving more than 100,000 registered charge cards.

“Today’s announcement is an early step towards ensuring customers can access a range of refuelling choices over the coming decades, as new technologies evolve to co-exist with traditional transport fuels,” said Shell’s Vice President for New Fuels, Matthew Tipper. “This move provides customers the flexibility to charge their electric vehicles at home, work and on the go. When you add this customer offer to our current rollout of fast charging points on Shell forecourts, we believe we are developing the full raft of charge solutions required to support the future of EVs.”

Under the terms of the agreement, NewMotion will continue business as usual as a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell.

F+L Daily is a fast and effective way to deliver your message quickly to the market.

Our daily eNewsletter features the latest fuels, lubricants, and additives industry news flashes from Asia and around the globe and is distributed via a range of delivery mechanisms (email, RSS, social media). Advertising in F+L Daily is an effective, fast and highly competitive way to deliver your message quickly to your market.